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If you have an aging parent, grandparent, or other relative you are looking after and plan on getting in-home health care for him or her, you may be wondering what the best way to prepare for a nurse or worker is. Here are some tips and suggestions how you can prepare for a nurse or health care giver and make them feel welcome in the home.

Preparing Your Elderly Relative and Home

If your aging relative has been independent for a long time, he or she may not want anyone coming into his or her home. Be patient and understanding, listening to your relative as he or she expresses his or her worries or objections. Try to be diplomatic and gentle as you explain how having someone come in his or her home will help them stay as independent as possible.

Help your elderly relative to see the benefits of having someone there to check on them every day. A caregiver will see that your loved one is safe, healthy, and getting what he or she needs to carry on from day-to-day. Help your relative to be part of the decision-making by interviewing potential caregivers together, and making a list of what he or she would like and need help with.

Speak with your loved one's health care insurance provider and physician to see exactly what you need from a home health-care worker, and what the health plan covers. A health-care worker who visits the home of your parent every day can administer medication, check vital signs and see to other immediate needs.

If you both want someone to do light house cleaning, shopping and meal preparation, you may need to hire someone separately for those chores. Again, it depends on what your parent's or relative's insurance will cover, which is usually only health-related.

Welcoming an In Home Caregiver

Speaking with a home health-care worker before he or she meets with your elderly loved one is a good way to break the ice, and prepare him or her for what to expect when they deal with your relative. This is especially true if your relative has dementia or becomes so ill at times that they forget simple things and become scared or hot-tempered, saying things they wouldn't normally say. 

When the home caregiver first comes over to work, sit down all together, the three of you, and get to know each other. Having a prepared list of duties and needs for the health-care worker would be helpful to him or her. Having a list of emergency phone numbers and notes about where certain items in the house are would also be invaluable.

Make sure you, as your loved one's next of kin, are available as much as possible to be there for the caregiver and your loved one. Be available to talk on the phone when needed, or even come over in times of need for the first few weeks while you transition to having a caregiver.

Keep up communication and an amicable relationship with your loved one and their in-home caregivers, like those from GENACTA Home Care, so that everyone feels comfortable and well cared for.